Links: positive scientific news, NASA History Series

[sonia]

First new non-opioid painkiller approved in the US for decades – here’s how it works by Alistair Mathie and Emma Veale, at The Conversation, Feb 5, 2025.

In two clinical trials with over 1,000 patients in each, suzetrigine was found to be equally as effective as opioids at blocking acute pain following moderately painful surgery.

Broken Legs and Ankles Heal Better If You Walk on Them within Weeks by Lydia Denworth, Scientific American, Feb 18, 2025 via andrewducker.

In a study that looked back at outcomes for a series of patients, Heng and her colleagues showed that those who walked early on femurs that had broken just above the knee had no higher rate of complications than those who stayed off the leg for six weeks.

The NASA History Series via blogdiva@mastodon.social. "The NASA History Series includes over 200 books and monographs on a wide range of topics in aerospace history, many of which are available in downloadable digital formats." Download what you want while the website is still accessible!

The Inspection Paradox is Everywhere by Allen Downey. A good thing to keep in mind when writing, reading, and interpreting surveys.

When you survey students, you oversample large classes: If there are 10 students in a class, you have 10 chances to sample that class; if there are 100 students, you have 100 chances. In general, if the class size is x, it will be overrepresented in the sample by a factor of x.

I hate my new progressive lenses, is what I see normal?, on MetaFilter, Feb 20, 2019. Summary seems to be, it takes a while to adjust to progressives, and also they're not a good plan for people with neck and shoulder pain. *raises hand* That's what I figured, but it's good to hear other people's experiences.

Comments

[jenett]

That summary is pretty much everything I've heard about progressives.

I get migraines and neck/shoulder tension is one of my triggers, and use either a wide screen monitor or a dual monitor (so looking at a wide horizontal range). That seemed a horrible combo with progressives, especially when most of what I do is computer based, and that's the narrowest window on the progressive lens.

So when I was looking at glasses, I noped right out of progressives, and instead have a set for computer distance that I wear most of the time, a set of distance sunglasses for driving and outdoors, and a cheap pair of distance non-sunglasses for the occasional times I need that. (I don't really need them for reading on my phone at close distance, thankfully.)

[sonia]

Thanks for confirming! That's similar to my current setup, minus the sunglasses, but my vision is being rearranged for me by cataract surgery. I think I'll end up with no glasses for computer use and wandering around the house, with a pair of glasses for reading and a pair for outside distance. Possibly plus distance sunglasses - that sounds like a good idea.

[jenett]

Glad to help with info!

My computer ones mean things are fuzzy at 'across the room' distance, which is generally fine. (If I'm doing social stuff and just chatting, I take them off, which is less fuzzy).

The distance sunglasses were absolutely a great choice for me - I wear them walking outside, driving, etc. (though having the non-sunglasses cheap pair is great for winter afternoons when it's dark when I leave work for a couple of months.) But optimising for "where do I use my eyes most, how do I make that easiest" was absolutely the right choice for me.

I've had great luck with the latest iteration of

[jesse_the_k]

the Transitions photochromic lens. It gets plenty dark even through the glass windshield:

and when we're driving in a snowfield or similarly super bright area (or I've got a migraine or dilated eyes) I pop on my Cocoon sunglasses, which fit over my prescription frames.

That way my social distance glasses are also my (riding not driving) glasses.

Re: I've had great luck with the latest iteration of

[sonia]

I'm glad the Transitions lenses are working for you! I'd worry about the transition time to lighten up, and if they get light enough to be comfortable indoors. I'll look into it when I'm ready to order new glasses.

Wow that suzetrigine link

[jesse_the_k]

....is very encouraging!

Re: Wow that suzetrigine link

[sonia]

Yay for better pain meds!

[silveradept]

Interesting things, all of them. Several of them seem counter-intuitive, but that's the fun of science, right?

[sonia]

Right! Along with providing supporting evidence for counter-intuitive ideas.